Cotton picker crop guiding and picking structure



Feb- 16, 1965 l.. E. NlcKLA ETAL COTTON PICKER CROP GUIDING AND PICKING STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 9, 1962 l l ,l

Il l l f INVENTORS vaa': zmes 9. Q/acg Feb. 16, 1965 L, E. NICKLA x-:TAL 3,169,359

` COTTON PICKER CROP GUIDING AND PICKING STRUCTURE Filed July Q. 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PMC; E:

United States Patent O 3,169,359 CO'I'TGN PICKER CROP GUIDENG AND PICKiNG STRUCTURE Louis E. Nickla and .lames T. rlilracy, Memphis, Tenn., as-

signors to Internationm Harvester Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Fiied July 9, 1962, Ser. No. 293,232 1 Claim. (Cl. 56-44) This invention relates to cotton harvesters of the picker type. A

In general cotton harvesters of the type under consideration have enjoyed exceptional popularity in that they performed an excellent harvesting operation. However, as experimentation proceeds to improve the quality of the cotton and the yield, the picking ability of current harvesters has been decreased. We have found that, without materially altering the basic characteristics of the cotton harvester, it is possible to improve its picking efciency.

A general object of the invention is to provide a novel cotton harvester having an improved plant passage to obtain minimum dropping losses and to improve presentation of the cotton to the picking mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel harvester comprising a novel plant passage providing a path for the plants such that the gathering mechanism of the harvester is provided with increased dwell time within the plant to improve the picking eicacy of the picker spindle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel plant passage structure in the cotton harvester such that the plant is continuously held under compression as contrasted with previous practices where the plant would alternatively be compacted and expanded and then again compacted.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel plant passage in a cotton harvester which comprises a plurality of yieldably loaded compressor sheets which force the plant against the picker spindles on the opposite side of the throat and wherein the compressor sheets are so formed as to retain the plants a maximum amount of time on the spindles.

These and other objects and advantages inherent in and encompassed in the invention will become more readily apparent from the specification and the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a horizontal sectional view of the novel harvester;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the concave portion of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2.

Describing the invention in detail and having particular reference to the drawings, the cotton picker unit generally designated 2 comprises a housing structure having left and right counterparts 3 and 4, which respectively enclose picker drums S, 6, a doing mechanism 7 and the spindle moistener mechanism 8. These are conventional structures more or less.

The housings 3 and 4 are defined by a plurality of vertically spaced slats 10 and 11 with opposing compressor sheet structures 12 and 13 which collectively deine a plant throat or passage 15. It will be understood that the rotors or drums 5 and 6 rotate in the direction of the arrows as shown in FIGURE 1 and that pursuant to such rotation the rotors progressively insert and withdraw a plurality of spindles 16, 16 with respect to the plant passage. The spindles are adapted to rotate about their individual substantial horizontally axes and pursuant to such rotation and the rotation of the drums which is timed to the speed of the machine as it advances along 3,159,359 Patented Feb. 16, 1955 a row of cotton plants so that there is no movement or relatively very little movement of translation between the spindles and the plants the spindles in revolving and being provided with snagging means, wind the cotton and pluck it from the boils and Withdraw the cotton into the respective housing whereat it is acted on by the respective doing mechanism which casts the cotton into the conveying ductwork, that is, from the left one into the ductwork indicated at 17 and from the right one to the duckwork indicated at 18.

The present invention concerns the improvement and position of the compressor sheets and vit will be readily seen that the front compressor sheet structure 12 comprises a front portion 20 and a rear portion 21. The front portion, as best seen in FIGURE l, is of substantially the height of the drum and provides a forwardly and outwardly diverging portion 22 which at its forward end is curved around a substantially vertical pivot member 23 which is fastened to the associated framework Z4 of the housing portion 4. The paneling 22 opposes a similarly outwardly and forwardly angled upright paneling 2S of the leftward housing portion 3 and paneling 25 diverging forwardly with the paneling 22 and being provided with a slat mounting structure 26 which supports the forward ends of the slat 10.

The slats, as best seen in FIGURE l, generally curve toward the throat structure in a rearward direction and at their rear ends are supported from the perforated post wall 2'7.

The rear edge of the forward portion 20 of the compressor sheet 12 terminates its panel 22 in a rear end portion 2-8 which is provided with an outwardly directed ilange 29 having rearwardly extending ears 30 which are pivotally connected as by the pivot member 31 to the hookfront portion 32 of the rear compressor section 21. Thus it will be seen that the entire compressor assembly pivots about the forward axis or pivot 23 and that the segments 20 and 21 pivot with respect to each other about the vertical pivot axis 31. The compressor portion 21 has its forward portion located in the picking zone 35 of the forward drum 5 and as seen in FIG. l in this area the spindles 16 project farther into the throat and penetrate the plant for the full extent of their lengths. In order to increase the dwell time of the spindles within the plant there is provided an outwardly concaved section 36 which is substantially concentric with the path of movement of the outer tips of the fingers in that area, and in effect, the concavity 36 forms a pocket 37 which admits the tip ends T ofthe fingers between a plurality of vertically spaced ribs 3S, 3S. It will be realized that the free or outer edges 39 of the ribs are substantially ush with the plant throat side that is that they do not project into the plant passage and therefore offer no obstruction to the movement of the plants and therefore do not strip or in any way hinder or in any way knock olic cotton. In fact, the ribs permit the spindle ends to penetrate through the plant and thus insure maximum coverage of the plant by the picker spindle. Furthermore, by providing backing for the end of the picker linger for a substantially prolonged period any available cotton in the region of the spindle is thus apt to be caught by the spindle and picked. The panel section 21 rearwardly of the concavity or pocket portion extends substantially straight rearwardly substantially in line with the outer free edges 39 of the ribs 38, the rear portion 40 being terminated in a curved rear edge section 41 which bears against the forward ends of the slat bars 11 of the rightward or the rear drum 6.

The compressor sheet structure 12 is biased in the direction of the plant passage by torsion spring means 43 which are anchored as at 44 to the framework 24 of the housing 4, the spring means having an output arm portion i 45 which bears against the backside lof the front portion 30 of the compressor sheet structure.

The rear compressor sheet 50 is in essence the same as the front sheetand corresponding reference numerals therefore are used to identify the same parts. The sheet 50 has front and rear portions 51, 21R, the front portion "being pivoted on a vertical axis at 52 behind the post 27 and having a rear edge 572v with a flange 53 provided with ears 54 which are pivoted at 55 to the forward end of the rear portion 21R which has the concavity 36 with ribs 38 in the picking zone S7 of the Vrear drum. The rear compressor sheet structure is biased toward the lthroat by the torsion springs 58 which'are anchored to Vpost 59 on frame 60 of housing 3, springs 58 bearing against panel 21R at 62. f As seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the lowermost spindles are backed vup'by the low boll lifter lngers 61y which have a fastening ange 61 inserted between the nut 64 which engagesside 63 of theirlange 61'., said tiange having aback side 66 which abuts washer 69 which engages the `boss 69 ofthe column 70 which forms the rotor 5 Vor 6, column 70 being pivoted at.76 on the pedestal base 77 formed with the plate 78 which is shielded by the base wall 79. Y i

The finger 61 abuts at the upper endof its ange 61 against they next spindle nutl 72.

f what is claimed is;

In a cotton harvester movable forwardly Vover a eld of cotton plants: housing structure providing a passage for successively passing earthborne cotton plants through the harvester, a pickerV drum mounted in the housing structure for rotation on an upright axis including vertically spaced apart and radially extending spindle members operative to successively move in yan arc into the passage to collect cotton from the plants and carry the same inwardly `of the housing structure, said` passage defined by compressor means opposing the drum and having a leading straight portion substantially parallel to the direction Vof Ytravel and an adjoining'curved pocket portion con- References Cited in the le of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,910,307 Rust May 23, 19,33 2,333,965 Weems i, Nov. 9, 1943 2,576,567 Brown Nov. 277, 1951 

